This last weekend, we took a short trip to Jekyll Island in Georgia. Hurricane Ivan was kicking up some dust (and wind, and rain) so we went east to get further away from the action. Proved to be a decision of some luck. Most folks were heading away from the beaches, so we when we finally arrived at the Jekyll Island Campground, we were pretty much alone. The campground was still cleaning up from Hurricane Frances that had come through the previous weekend, but the park was in really good shape all things considered. This is one of our favorite parks because of it's location next to beaches.
We only stayed about 4 days, but had a very good time. We took a trolley tour about St. Simon Island allowing us to get a pretty good dose of the local history and high points. I highly suggest this tour if you are going to be limited in your length of stay. The lady that operated the Trolley, known as the "Trolley Lady" because she has been doing it for some time, was very knowledgeable and friendly in her accounts of the Island lore. She stopped on several occassions so that I could take some pictures of the trees with the carved faces.
One of the stops was for the Wesley Methodist Church. A beautiful little church nestled amonst stately oaks, pines and a few cypress trees. Though small, the church is a work of prcision carpentry, and was built by period shipwrights. Going in to look at the stained glass windows is a treat in itself, having some of the finest glass work around, including a couple of Tiffany windows. If your in the St Simon/Sea Island area, this is a must see item.
Back on Jekyll Island, we enjoyed some beach time though the water was a bit choppy and the wind a bit blustery. To be expected with a near miss by a hurricane. While we were enjoying a little peace time on the beach, we chanced upon a shrimp boat that had gone aground. The picture below shows a handful of spectators that were watching as the boat tried to free itself. When we first arrived on the scene, another boat had been (at least it appeared so) trying to assist the hapless shrimper off the beach. We left after a few hours with the boat still stuck and about an hour left til high tide. However, passing by a few hours later, we noticed that the shrimper was gone and guessed that he must have freed himself. At least there wasn't any wreckage to indicate otherwise.
A last item to mention is of course the restaurants we ate at. The first was "Lattitude 31." Excellent. This eatery sits on a pier overlooking the inner canal between Jekyll and the mainland. Christa had broiled shrimp on fettucine and I had a broiled grouper and shrimp platter. Both plates were excellent. I also had a cup of the seafood soup, mighty tasty. The atmosphere was and service were both excellent. We paid about $18 a plate. We will be seeing this place again.
The other restaurant was "Blackbeard's Family Seafood Restaurant" overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. This was the second time for us eating at this place, so, as you can guess, we favored it from our previous visit. We paid about $16 a plate, and though I like Lattitude 31 a little better, I will say that Blackbeard's is not to be walked away from. The service was exceptional, the atmosphere gets you ready for some good seafood, and the chef delivers. My broiled shrimp were a little overdone, but overall, another outstanding meal.
We love the Island feel of Jekyll and the other Islands in the Brunswick area. Jekyll and St Simon both have ordinances that limit building to 45 feet high. This is important because it has kept the big condos and hotels from coming in and obliterating the beach view as they are doing in places like Panama City, Fl. We even toyed with the idea of looking at some property, but found that we need to win a lottery or something if we want to move there. However, I can definately say that we will return for future stays at the Jekyll Island Campground.
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